Our Trip Home

Okay, now that we are home and getting into some sort of routine...oh, and now that jet lag is finished, I thought that I would post about our trip home. Friday night in Guangzhou, Jessica and Adam and Michael and I all went to La Dolce Vita for a wonderful Italian meal. Let's just say, it was great!! Nothing like authentic Italian food in China!! It was funny, they even were having a wedding reception at the restaurant. In the middle of our meal, a small wedding party came in...and guess what...they were Italian!! It was actually kind of weird. About 20 or so people came in (including the bride and groom), and all but 1 of them were not Chinese. In fact, a couple of the men looked like they were Mob - truly not trying to be stereotypical, I am telling the truth!!

So after our last dinner in China, I went back to our room to pack. Let's just say, I bought a little more than I was planning on. My suitcases started bulging and I was wondering if I needed to go and buy another suitcase before the shops closed!! But, I didn't. In the middle of the night I had a revelation as to how to re-organize my suitcases to try and keep them under weight. I know, I should have been sleeping, but stress won. I woke up at 5 am, showered and re-packed. According to my hotel room scale, the weight on both suitcases was going to be tight. I called the bellboy, woke up Michael and checked out of the White Swan. We ran into Adam and Jessica in the restaurant (we were the only 4 in there at 6 am), and grabbed our last breakfast buffet (sigh - they have been good). We left the hotel at about 6:30 am and drove to the airport. While I was waiting in line to check in, I prayed about my luggage - that they would not be over weight and that they would not bust apart in transit - both prayers were answered!! Each suitcase needed to be 23 kg or under...they were both 22+!! WHEW!! When we landed in Atlanta, they were both intact and nothing got broken - praise God!!

We had no trouble with any of our flights. Everything left on time and we even arrived early. We had a 4 hour layover in Tokyo, but it actually worked out fine. We had to take a bus from the terminal that we landed in to the main terminal. It wasn't hard, just kind of a pain. Keep in mind that I am carrying a heavy backpack, laptop, 2 year-old and stroller - alone. Ugh. And we have to go through security in Tokyo. Oh well, at least we don't have to take off our shoes. Well, we managed to get to the correct terminal and grabbed McDonalds. Luckily they take USD, but the change is in Yen. So, my bill was $10 and I received $10 in yen. What to do? Spend it!! We went into a gift shop and bought a water and some magnets (Steve collects a magnet at every place he has gone) for about 840 yen. I have no idea how much that equals, but I still had a little change left, so I was good.

Both flights were full, so we had someone else in our row with us - not ideal. On the way to Tokyo, I sat in the middle and Michael was in the window seat. This worked well, until he fell asleep so I did too. I think that I may have leaned against some poor Chinese man sitting next to me. So, on the flight from Tokyo to Atlanta, I put Michael in the middle. I thought that that would give me somewhere to lean and give the girl on the end a little more room. It worked great, until Michael fell asleep. He slept a good bit of this flight, but he was restless. He likes to roll over, and since his space was limited, he got frustrated and kicked his feet - right on the girl next to him. Sigh. I tried to minimize this, but I am sure that he nailed her a couple of times. I kept apologizing, and she was so sweet about it, but I bet she complained about us to her friends when she landed!! All in all, Michael did great. He complained briefly about his seat belt, but over all was resigned to wearing it. He ate great, and we went through a lot of stickers....there may even be some still stuck on his seat. We arrived in Atlanta 30 minutes early (YEA!), but ended up sitting on the tarmac for 45 minutes until a gate opened up for us to deplane. Sigh. We then had to go through immigration. Our first officer was great and I was glad to get done quickly...until he told me to take the paperwork into another office. Ugh. I get there and there are only 2 people in front of me and 3 officers working - good. Not good. When one officer finished his case, he decided to "go and check things out". The 2nd officer finished and decided to take a potty break. Meanwhile more and more people come in. It was killing me!! I know that people have to go potty, but I just wanted to get out of there!! They really were in no particular hurry. They finally looked over my paper work, stamped Michael's visa with his temporary"green card" and sent me on my way. I had to get my luggage and then get in line with my luggage cart and stroller (not an easy task). I went through customs without any trouble, and then had to "re-check" my bags so that I could pick them up at the main terminal. Okay, done. On my way out, we had to go through security again!! NO!!! This place is killing me!! Everytime we go through security, Michael has a tantrum. Apparently he doesn't like to be yanked out of his stroller in the chaos - who can blame him!! So, I take my laptop out (again), put my backpack through the scanner (again), take off our shoes (only in the US), fold down the stroller (again), pick up cranky 2 year old (again) and walk through another scanner. Oh, and have his water bottle tested. Little Man had been carrying his water bottle since Guangzhou and wasn't ready to part with it. The officer said that I would have to toss it. I guess that 29 hours of traveling was showing when I told him that he has to be kidding me. I told him that I just want to get home!! He had pity on me and told me that he would have to test it. Great - do it. We passed and he got to keep his bottle - another tantrum averted. We finally got on the train to go and see the rest of our family!

When we got off the elevator, I immediately saw Steve and the girls. They came running over and we were finally united - our family of 6. I cried when I held them all - it was SO good to see them!! Our friends Ellen and Frannie came out to welcome us home, too - that was so great!! They are next - hopefully they will be traveling in the next month to bring home Gracie. It is so good to be home!! Everyone is adjusting quite well. We are even sleeping at the right times! We were both tired on Sunday, but I have been fine since Monday morning - seriously, no jet lag!! Thank God!! Michael is smiling, laughing and trying to repeat English words. He has even begun to spontaneously hug and kiss me and Steve. He really seems to be happy here, and I can only hope that he continues to feel loved. He slept great his first night home (despite sleeping a lot on the plane) and we even made it to church together on Sunday morning. We may have been crazy, but I was craving fellowship with my church family. They were so vigiliant in their prayers (so were many others), that I just wanted to go and praise God with them!! It was awesome - singing and praising the Lord with my son in my arms - I had been envisioning this for months!! I am so grateful that God has completed our family.

WE ARE HOME!

Just wanted to let you know that we are indeed home!! After 30 hours of door to door travel, my family is finally united!! Michael is getting along well with his sisters and is already bonding to his daddy. I will post more about our trip later, now I need coffee!!! It sure is good to be home!! Thank God!

Shopping and visas!!

I am LOVING being back on Shamian Island - it feels like an old friend!! Originally my adoption agency wanted to put us in a hotel off the Island - and I fought that!! I don't care if the rates were better, by the time we reached Guangzhou, I was ready for some "westernized" culture!! I honestly don't know why my agency wanted to put us up elsewhere - this really is the best place to be!! I am just grateful that the other families in my group wanted to stay here as well - we are all united in this is the best place to stay. Especially after the last hotel our agency picked - again, nice hotel, terrible location!! I must say, that the other 2 families that have been with me have been great. It is going to be so weird not to see them everyday. We all got along great, and as far as I could tell, there were no disagreements!! In fact, everyone was great with helping me carry my stroller up and down stairs as needed. China is not very stroller accessible. Despite the fact that Steve couldn't come and that I missed my family terribly, this has been a great trip. There were so many potential problems that I was expecting when I left the States, but all in all, we made it through as scheduled!! I can only attribute that to God answering all of our prayers!! Praise to Him!!!

So, what have I been doing the last 2 days? SHOPPING!! I came here thinking that I didn't need to buy that much stuff, since I stocked up a year and a half ago, but guess what? I was wrong!! I am hoping to stuff everything into my 2 suitcases, or else I will have to buy another small one - YIKES!! I just returned from shopping with Ann from Red Thread - man, is she the best!! She gets us such great deals that it is so hard to pass up. She said that her shopping guide business has been slow...what are you people thinking??? If any of you are coming to China soon, you need to hook up with Ann!! She can get amazing prices on pearls, jade and traditional clothing, just to name a few! You can save at least 50% of what you would pay on the Island. Call her - she is awesome!!!

Oh, the good news. We had our consulate appt. scheduled for Thurs. the 23rd. Our guide, Helen, took all of our paperwork to the appt and said that she would call us by noon to tell us how it went. Well, Adam's phone rang at 10:30 (he was the contact person with the cell phone - we all shopped together while we waited for Helen's call). So Maria and I were nervous, thinking that there was a problem, but no!!! Everything was great!! In fact, since only 6 families had their appt on the 23rd, they decided to mover our oath ceremony to Thurs. afternoon (instead of Fri). This is huge!! So, at 2:45 we boarded the bus and went to the US Consulate for our swearing in ceremony and to receive our US immigration paperwork (including Michael's visa that had created such a problem before I left). It was great!! After our oath, Maria and I looked at each other and we both had been crying. Everything was done, we were free to go home - PRAISE GOD!! So we all celebrated by having dinner at Lucy's, and then we spent Friday shopping and packing. We are all ready to go home and start our lives with our family!! This afternoon I am going to take Michael to the pool, grab some Italian dinner, pack and go to bed...I leave early in the morning for the airport!! I will be arriving in Atlanta around 7 pm - I can't wait to see my wonderful husband and beautiful girls. This has been a long journey in so many ways, I am glad that it is coming to an end and we can begin our life as a family of 6!! Oh, and I guess that I have to start cooking and cleaning again - not looking forward to that!! Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, I couldn't have done it without any of you. Next post - from home!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

We made it to Guangzhou!!! (6 pictures below)

Sorry that I dropped the ball a little - we have been busy!! Monday morning was a free day. Michael and I slept in, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then strolled around the hotel to take pictures of the neighborhood. We are still not sure why our agency picked this hotel. It is nice and all and has a great breakfast buffet, but the neighborhood stinks!! I mean, there is absolutely nothing within walking distance for us to do. Very annoying. We are all a little frustrated with this choice of hotel. Anyway, we ate lunch with Maria, Patty and Brayden at our favorite restaurant around the corner. It is great food, but I was kind of glad that it was our last meal there - it's getting a little old. Michael took a great nap and then we went to the Summer Palace. This was one of my favorite spots! It was absolutely beautiful!! It was super hot, but at least there was a nice breeze coming off of the lake. We are so glad that we made it to this spot - it was great. While we were there, I gave Michael his first ice cream bar - see if you can tell from the picture if he liked it!! I was scolded by a couple of older Chinese women - they kept telling me that his face was dirty. Well, duh! Can't you see he is eating ice cream while it is 90+ degrees!! They wanted me to clean him up, well I just kept walking. What is the point of cleaning him after every bite, he is only going to get dirty again!? Don't worry, I cleaned him up after he finished!!

Oh, this is sad. When we got back to the bus to go back to our hotel, Michael told me (in his own way) that he had to go potty. I tried to tell him just to go in his pull-ups, but I guess he didn't understand me. He did okay for a while, and then he got really vocal about his need to go. I asked our guide to tell him that it was okay to go in his diaper, but my guide ignored me. Nice. So, a little while later he started crying and was REALLY upset. Our guide finally tried to tell him to go, but that didn't work. Our bus driver pulled over, I took the little guy in a grassy knoll and stripped his pants and pull ups off (we already tried to have him pee outside without taking the clothes off, and well, that didn't work). So I have a half naked kid in the middle of Beijing during rush hour - screaming...and not peeing. He refused to go. Well, I thought that maybe he had peed in his pull up - it seemed a little wet. So, I tried to put his clothes back on, but he just screamed louder. What now? Pick up half naked crying boy and put him on the bus!! Luckily he didn't pee on me!! I got him dressed and he was fine...for about 10 minutes. Then he said he had to go potty!!! UGH!!! Luckily we were close to the hotel. As soon as we got there, I ran into the lobby and to the public restrooms - he smiled when he saw the ladies room sign. He was very relieved to to be able to finally relieve himself!! What a nightmare!! I felt so sorry for him, but on a positive note - he does have great bladder control!!

After Michael was better, we walked to Pizza Hut - the first time I had pizza since I came to Beijing. Jessica (one of the 7 year-olds) picked a curry chicken pizza. Curry is not my favorite, but I was willing to try anything - and it tasted great!! Michael enjoyed a slice of veggie pizza - at least he will fit in with our family!!

So Tuesday morning was also free - our last day in Beijing!! Unfortunately, Michael didn't sleep in....he woke up at 6. And that was after a night of at least 2 nightmares or terrors - I don't know which. So needless to say I was tired. We ate and then worked on packing. It was nice getting rid of gifts so that cut down on the weight of each suitcase...I have LOTS of room to go shopping in Guangzou!! We finished up just as Meg arrived and the 3 of us went out to lunch at a french bistro...it was yummy!! We got back to the hotel and checked out. I said a tearful goodbye to Meg, and got on the bus for one last time. It was hard to say goodbye, Meg is just so awesome!! I am so grateful that she was there - I would not have been able to do as well as I did without her. She was a Godsend!!

We arrive at the south Beijing terminal. It is it's own separate airport, and let's just say, we were SCARED!!! It is this tiny hole in the wall building with planes sitting in a weed-infested lot. It was even smaller than the Rochester MN airport!! We really were nervous!! Our guide checked us in and we went through security (after thanking our guide, Michael - he really was great). So, then we were the only Americans in the airport and all of the messages were in Chinese. I was so glad to be here with a group - we had visions of missing our flight! It was an experience!! So we finally board the plane and then we sit - for an hour!!! UGH!! There are messages (in Chinese), so none of us could understand anything!! Well, we did okay, but my son HATED his seat belt. It wasn't even on tight!! It just stressed him out to no end!! He cried!!! I finally got him distracted and he forgot about it for a while, but whenever he remembered that it was on, he had a fit!! Not looking forward to 14 hours of this!!! Oh! And wait until he has to sit in his car seat!! NICE!! Other than 3 or 4 fits of rage over his seat belt, he did great. He even fell asleep - about 30 minutes out of Guangzhou! I thought for sure that he would have fallen asleep sooner since he didn't get a nap - which made him even crankier!! Well, we landed in Guangzhou and found our guide, Helen. She is very sweet and good with the kids. We got checked into the White Swan Hotel and I feel like I am almost home!! We stayed on Shamian Island when we were here with Danielle so this is familiar territory! I am so glad to be here!! On Wed morning, Helen took us to the Chen Clan something...can't remember it's name. It was pretty neat - but it is SUPER humid here - UGH!! I really feel like I am melting!! We did a little shopping, but I am waiting to hook up with Ann to get some better deals (you are welcome, Honey). We even ate lunch at McDonald's - first time on this trip. I am not a huge McDonald's fan, but it never tasted so good!!! We are back in our room and Michael is sleeping peacefully. I am waiting for Helen to come and work on my paperwork for our consulate appointment in the morning. If all goes well with that, I can come home!!! Please pray that there are no hiccups tomorrow morning - I want to come home!!

Random Ramblings (see below for other post from today with more pictures)

The main purpose of this blog is to document my trip to China as I adopt my son, but I also want to share this journey with you!! This post is just going to be a bullet post of random things and thoughts that I may have forgotten to put in previous posts. Some may sound negative, but I want to remember the good, the bad and the ugly!!!

- Chinese dept stores are TOTALLY inefficient!! When you find what you want, the sales person in that dept. holds onto your item and writes up a receipt. You then take this paper to a cashier and pay for it, then you take your receipt BACK to the dept (after stamped paid) and pick up your item!!!
- I miss ice in my drinks
- I am tired of eating every meal in a restaurant - and I am tired of Chinese food!
- I don't miss cooking!
- I am tired of my hotel room....
- but I love having someone else clean my room!!!
- I do not miss doing laundry, but am tired of living out of a suitcase
- Taking a 2 year old to a breakfast buffet every morning alone is NOT relaxing
- Having a 2 year old have random fits is not amusing (can't wait to get home and work on fixing that)
- Chinese cartoons are not funny (at least I don't think they are)
- Pollution makes my throat hurt - every day! (I should have had a chest x-ray before and after my trip just to see!)
- squatty pottys at Tianamen Square are N-A-S-T-Y
- make sure potty door at above mentioned public restrooms is locked - or else above 2 year-old will open - mid stream!!!
- our guide refers to the orphanage as "the college" - huh
- adoption paperwork in Beijing is ANNOYING!!!
- if you ever come to Beijing for more than a weekend, don't stay at the Yuyang Hotel. It is very nice, but not in a nice area of town. There is absolutely nothing within walking distance so you will be stuck in your hotel room...and don't get a massage across the street, it is run by prostitutes (no, that is NOT where I had my massage)
- having a HUGE picture window (with metal blinds) between the shower and the bed is VERY weird, but functional when you are alone with a 2 year old and need to get clean!
- having a government censor your internet access and TV is maddening!!! I guess it does aid in reinforcing Chinese propaganda!!!
- bathing caps (which are required for all people to wear in swimming pools - even children) are NOT attractive!!
- sunscreen is not really necessary when pollution is so thick - at least I didn't need it!!
- I have never watched so much ESPN in all my life - at least THAT wasn't censored!!!
- the hotel maids play sick shower nozzle games...everyday it is pointing a different direction and hoses a new section of the bathroom!!
- never forget to take tissue into a bathroom with you - you never know when a stall isn't going to have any...say for instance the T. Square public one!

Temple, acrobats and hot pots - oh my!

After Michael's nap on Sunday, we met the gang for an afternoon outing. Our guide took us first to the Temple of Heaven. It was in a nice park and it really was beautiful. Not much to see other than a few "temple" buildings, but they were nice. After that we went to the Flying Acrobats show - it was amazing!!! Michael was not too thrilled to have to sit on my lap, but I wasn't going to pay for another ticket, and besides, he wouldn't have been able to see! Once I gave him some crackers, he was fine. He was a bit scared of the show at times - the music could be a little ominous, but I enjoyed it thoroughly!! It was INCREDIBLE!!! I was amazed at how the performers' bodies could contort and how strong they all were!! I better quit complaining about carrying around one toddler!! Whenever they performed a stunt I was blown away - and then they would one-up it....again and again!! I was amazed at all of the limits that they pushed!! I can't even imagine how their rehearsals go! And who thinks up these stunts? They are mind-blowing!! The strength that these perfomers possess is unreal!! Balancing 6 girls - all of them on one arm...even the anchor girl!! One stunt was done on a bike with a girl peddling and then they added a pyramid of 10 girls - all while the bike is in motion!! UNBELIEVEABLE!! I was very impressed!

We went out to dinner after that at a restaurant that specializes in hot pots. I didn't really like it. Neither did Michael, which was a first!! I was glad that I tried it but was doubly glad that I had half a PBJ back at the hotel!! We were able to talk to Baba (Daddy) and the girls for a while before bed. They made it home after 10 days with my folks. They were worn out but glad to be back at home - I think. I know that they are missing their grandparents, but it will be good for them to get back into a routine (hint! hint!! Baba).

After Michael went to sleep, I decided to try and see if I could get our church service on the web, and guess what? It worked!! It was great to see some familiar faces (even though they couldn't see me) and to hear the wonderful music!! It was very comforting but it also made me more homesick. Hopefully I will be back in the States for the next service. I really enjoyed watching it - I even caught a glimpse of Steve and his Mom as the camera panned the sanctuary...at least they made it!! I must admit though, I didn't make it all the way through the sermon. I am sorry Seth Wortman, but I really did go to sleep during it - at least I turned the computer off first! It was great, I was just too tired and it got too late (11:15 pm). Trust me when I say it wasn't you, it was me!! I am going to go back and listen to the sermon from the archives - it sounded great from what I heard!! Thank you to all of my friends and prayer warriors out there - they are working, keep up the great work!!! God is good!

Eating Spaghetti

The other 2 families in my group are great - we all get along really well. One of the dads is scheduled to leave on Sunday and then one of the moms is going to leave on Monday. So both families wanted to see if Meg could come to dinner with us and explain to the two 7 year-olds what was about to happen. Our guide (also named Michael) doesn't quite seem to understand some of these concepts - Meg's Chinese is better than Michael's English. So, since we were all a little tired of Chinese food, Meg took us to a nice Mediterranean (sp?) restaurant. I ordered a salad (with no repercussions - yea!) and spaghetti. I have included some photos of our boy - he thoroughly enjoyed it!! The waiters and waitresses from the restaurant all came to look at him - he was a mess! Luckily he cleaned up well! After dinner we walked around an outdoor mall and then I took Michael home and gave him a bath. He is doing much better at bedtime too - no fits for 2 nights in a row - PRAISE GOD!!

This morning since Rick was leaving, we are going to do our "tourist thing" this afternoon. We are going to see the Temple of Heaven and then go to a Chinese acrobatic show - should be fun! Meg came and met us for breakfast and then we went to a bookstore. I bought a couple of photo books - one about Beijing and the other about the Great Wall. Very cool pictures!! I also got a couple of children's books for Michael that he loves (and they were only $1). We then went to Meg's apartment to do a load of laundry...for free!! I did a load at the hotel and it was SO expensive. Oh well, I am set now until I get to Guangzhou where laundry will be much cheaper. So we hung out at Meg's studio apartment - it was really nice. Quite spacious and modern. It is located in an "artsy" area which was fun. A shopping center (located in the courtyard of her building) is scheduled to open in Aug. and I am sure that will be great. She seems very happy there. We ate lunch at her place, and guess what we had...PBJs!!!! She said we could order out, but I BEGGED her for the sandwich!! It was the best one EVER!! (and guess what Bompa? It was Skippy Super Chunk - your favorite!). Michael ate his all up and loved it!! He was actually quite messy about it, but oh well, he cleans up quite easily. I am just glad to know that he will eat anything when we get home - especially since my cooking is not great!! One more full day in Beijing, and then on Tuesday, we are off to Guangzhou - our last stop before coming home - yea!!! I am ready!!

Great Wall

On Friday night, Michael and I went out to dinner with Meg. We were suppose to see her new apartment, but since it had been raining all day she didn't want us to take a chance of not getting a cab home. Apparently when it rains or snows in Beijing, cab drivers go home. So, instead we just went out to dinner. Michael was cranky again. Sigh. In his defense though, I put him down for a nap after our day at the Forbidden City, and had to wake him up about an hour and a half later. It was 5 pm, and I wanted him to sleep at night. So anyway, Meg took me to a nice fresh food restaurant - yum!! I tried to get Michael to eat a quesadilla, and he seemed to like it, until he decided to throw a mini-fit. Meg and I finished our dinner and then we left - with a cranky (and probably hungry) toddler. He did like the salsa though, and ate it all...with a fork, just like Danielle does!! They will get along well!!

I will give God praise though, Michael went to bed without throwing a fit!! That was huge!! I sure needed a break!! We woke up early on Sat, and ate a great breakfast and then met our group at 8 am to go to the Great Wall. On the way there we stopped at a jade store. Yes, it was just like the pearl store from yesterday! We were given a quick lesson in how to distinquish true jade from the fake stuff, were told about some special sales that are "just for us", and then allowed to shop. One sales lady followed me around for a while, hoping to make a sale, but she got the hint when I started to play "kick the can" with a paper cup that Michael had found. No, that probably wasn't proper "jade store" ettiquette, but it's what we did. And no, I didn't buy anything!

Next was the Great Wall. I was really excited to see this, and it did not disappoint!! We stopped at the first gate and decided to keep going. There were SO MANY people at this stop and it was REALLY steep. The next "entrance" was great - not too crowded at all. Since the stroller wasn't going to work here, I brought out the Ergo baby carrier that my friend, Donna loaned to me. It worked great!! Michael really seemed to enjoy riding in it and I had both hands free to steady myself up and down the stairs (I am afraid of heights). It really was amazing!! We walked up and down the wall for a bit and took some photos. Two different groups of school children swarmed me and Michael and wanted to take our pictures...I guess they weren't used to seeing an American woman carry a 2 year old in a baby carrier!! Anyway, I smiled for their photos. One of the women in my group joked that I must be a celebrity. To that I responded that if I was a celebrity, someone else would be carrying my child!!! UGH!! I enjoyed my time there, but was ready to get the carrier (and my son) off - I was SO hot!!!!

On the way back to the hotel, we drove by the Olypic Water Cube and Bird's Nest. They were really cool!! Apparently you can "sit" in the Bird's Nest for $7 USD and you can swim in the Water Cube for about $10. Thanks, but no thanks. It might be cool to swim, but I wonder if I could actually swim a whole lap? Maybe next time I come to Beijing!!!

Rainy day

Michael took a good nap on Thursday afternoon and woke up in a much better mood - thank you, God!! We met the group for dinner at a nice (and cheap) restaurant around the corner of the hotel. Then we came home, bathed and went to bed. Michael LOVES taking a bath!!

We woke up on Friday morning expecting to meet our group at 8 am to go for a tour at the Forbidden City, but alas, it was raining!! So, instead our guide moved our departure time to 11 am so that we could go for lunch, the pearl gallery and then to the Forbidden City. I was glad that the time was changed so that I could spend some good quality time on Skype with Steve and the girls. I sure do miss them!! I wish I was going home tomorrow instead of NEXT Saturday!! UGH!! Will the 25th ever get here!!??? Anyway, lunch was great. Pearl gallery...not so much. I am not sure WHY we went to this place, it was really just a pearl jewelry store. They did have fresh water oysters there and they opened one up and showed us inside which was cool (and let us each pick out a pearl from inside the oyster), but then they just wanted to sell us stuff. I did buy a couple of things which were a good deal, but was actually kind of annoyed that we went here as a "tourist" spot - it was kind of tacky to schedule this if you ask me. According to our guide, famous athletes come here to buy pearls for their family - big deal. Well, we did go to the Forbidden City after that - in the rain. It was not pouring (as it was earlier in the morning), but it was still a steady drizzle. We felt like our guide didn't really want to take us...he said that the 2 older kids didn't want to go (but since none of us speak Chinese, we don't really know how he presented it). But we adults were dying to do anything outside of our tiny hotel rooms!! So, the adults won!! Now I had debated about going at all since it was in the afternoon and that is when Michael naps, but I had to get out!! We enjoyed ourselves and Michael seemed to enjoy riding around in his stroller. The 2 dads on this trip have been great in helping me carry the stroller up and down stairs. China is not very stroller-friendly!!
Meg is suppose to come to the hotel around dinner time and wants to take me and Michael to see her new apartment. She is so excited and happy to actually have her own place!!! Tomorrow - the Great Wall!! I am really looking forward to seeing that!!!

Not the easiest 2 days....

Okay, so the last 2 days have not been the best. It started out the night of the health exam. Michael refused to go to sleep (maybe the 3 hour nap had something to do with it). Anyway, he drank his bottle and instead of falling asleep, he seemed to get a 2nd wind. He played in bed but would not settle down. Finally, I took away the things that he was playing with and tried to force the issue. He was mad, but he finally did go to sleep - at 10:15. Well, he woke up at 3:30 am with either a nightmare or a night terror. After that he had some mini-fits and tried out various sleeping positions on the floor until 5 am. Nice. So, when he woke up at about 8, he was fine. He ate a good breakfast and seemed quite happy, Mommy - not so much. I was quite tired and the coffee didn't quite give me the extra energy that I wanted/needed.

We met our group in the lobby at 10 & spent the day completing all of our Chinese paperwork - praise God!!! First we went to the Civil Affairs office to get our finalized documents. We bumped into Tammy and Tony (also from Atlanta) again, only this time we got to chat. Their daughter just turned 3 and also gets overwhelmed at times. It must be so hard for these little ones - they really don't know what is happening. After we got our documents, we went to lunch. Michael continues to have no trouble eating - still hasn't refused a single thing!! He eats any kind of veggie (eggplant, beans, cabbage, celery, etc) and he even stole some tofu off of my plate!! Then we headed to the notary office. When we entered the conference room, Tony and Tammy were there again - and had been for over 2 hours!! That's when I knew it was going to be "oh so much fun" to wait. We were there for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Surprise - the kids did great!! There really weren't alot of things for us to do except check over our paperwork and look for errors before they printed and put together our "white books". These are the books that state our adoption is legal and binding. Now, here is the thing. Beijing is the capital of China, so one would think that things would be done most efficiently here - not so. This is the most inefficient process that I have seen!! When we adopted Danielle, we did not have to wait in some room for these books to be made. We also didn't have to wait 2 days to get them!! Many things in China are inefficient, this just happens to be one of them. Well, remember how I told you that Michael slept terribly the night before? Well, you would have never guessed!! He was a happy little angel!! Praise the Lord! I was annoyed a bit, but he did great. After they finally finished our books, we then went to the Chinese post office to apply for his passport (he is still considered a Chinese citizen). Again, no paperwork for me to do, we just waited. This day really was long. We left the hotel at 10 am and did not get back until 4:30!! I didn't feel like venturing out of the hotel for dinner, so we ate in the hotel restaurant. It was quite pricey but good. I decided that a good ole cheeseburger sounded good - and it was!!! Michael was introduced to french fries and ketchup - he ate them all! When I showed him my plate to let him know that the fries were all gone, he took the lettuce from my salad (that had some thousand island dressing on it), and began dipping THAT in the ketchup. Nice. So after that you would have thought that it would be easy to get him to sleep. Oh no, he had to have more temper tantrums. Not as long, but he fought me tooth and nail. When he did go to sleep, he did sleep all night though, thank God!!

Today we went to Tianamen Square. Since our paperwork is now complete (hallelujah), we will start seeing some sights. So we went to the Square. It was interesting to see but quite crowded. We were also suppose to go to the Forbidden City, but there were some dignitaries there and the wait was too long to get in (in a way, still Forbidden). Instead, we went for more Peking duck. The two 7 year olds told our guide that they have wanted to try it, so we did. It's good, but I think that I have had enough of it - especially since it is not cheap!! Now, the worst part of this day was Michael. He was a complete pill all day. He must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something because the littlest things would just tick him off. Now, when he has a temper tantrum, he will either plop his bottom on the floor and just sit there pouting, or he will lay on the ground and kick his feet, or he will throw whatever is in his hands onto the ground, even if it his favorite thing. When he has nothing else in his hands, he will take his shoes off and throw them as well. He has thrown his shoes 3 times today (before 2 pm). Now, in a way it is really sad when he throws a fit....I am able to feel how weak he is. It takes very little strength from me to hold him close when he is thrashing about. Also his voice is quite quiet. It is hard to describe the sound that he makes, but it really is kind of pitiful. We got back to the hotel about 1:30 and I tried to put Michael down for a nap. Same thing as last night - fought me as hard as he could!! He wouldn't take a bottle and just wouldn't quit having a fit. I am open to suggestions for those of you who have BTDT. Danielle grieved at sleep time, Michael just seems mad!! I am hoping that my sweet little boy will return after his nap - he has sure been a pickle today!! I am holding up well, considering. I am more than ready to come home. I miss my family terribly. Everyone else in the group is great, but they all also have each other. When we aren't together, I miss adult company. I do appreciate all of the comments and emails though - I read them often!! Please pray for Michael - I feel so sad for him, he is having a hard time.

Health check

Since we are staying so long in Beijing, our agency arranged to have the health check (required by the US Consulate in Guangzhou) done here in Beijing. There is a US approved clinic that can do the same exam (almost) that they do in Guangzhou. Since we will be shortening our time in Guangzhou, taking this step out of the process will be beneficial!! So our poor kids couldn't eat anything before the exam because they were going to have a blood draw. UGH!! We get to the clinic and fill out some paperwork and then we start the lovely process. The whole bit about getting the paperwork in order was frustrating. The Beijing clinic is just not as organized as the clinic on Shamian Island (Guangzhou), where they are used to dealing with these little kids. They were insistent that Michael was going to need 2 vaccinations, to which I fought them tooth and nail!! We are under the "old" rules of international adoption (600/non-Hague family), and therefore, do not need to have any vaccinations here in China. They finally gave up the battle and let me go on to the exam. Michael did great with the dental check and the eye exam. Although, I was very annoyed at the eye exam. They wanted him to sit in a chair and tell them which way the "E" was facing. Really (he's 2 years old). I mean, come on folks let's be real here!!! They finally gave up - ya think?. Oh, another frustrating point was they wanted him to pee in a cup. Keep in mind that he hasn't eaten or had anything to drink since the night before!!! Really - again (oh, as this post continues, remember that I haven't eaten anything either, thus the easy frustration on my part!). Since our first attempt of peeing in a cup failed, they told us to give him water - which thrilled him to no end. Next we went for the blood draw. Now I don't know if Michael was just tired of the chaos or overly hungry, but here is where we first experienced a little defiance from him (praise God!). He did not like me taking his bottle away and he plopped his little bottom on the floor and pouted. I then had to pick him up and carry him to the blood draw station - fun is coming!! They couldn't find a vein in the left arm, so they tried the right - all the while he is squirmming and fussing (not crying, just fussing). Okay, vein found, and tears begin!! Poor little guy cried all through both vials of blood being taken. He was quite annoyed after that - until I started giving him Goldfish - he got happy again. He cried again when they attached electrodes to him for his ECG - not happy with that at all. The technician said that he heart was beating fast but was okay. Huh, shocking - I wonder why!! When we went into the Dr.'s office for the general exam he plopped himself down on the floor again - he was done. So, I had to step on the scale with him and then alone and the doctor subtracted my wt. Nice. I was very encouraged - not!! When Michael realized that he wasn't going to be poked any more, he got happy again. Poor kid had been through the ringer!! On the way out of the doctor's office, the doc was talking to Michael and asked if I was his mama, and Michael said, "Mama"!! Clear as a bell!! That made my day!! So we were then all done with the stations - or so I thought. Michael still had to pee!!! We could not leave until they got his urine sample!!! UGH!! Talk about pressure. I took him into the bathroom and tried to encourage him to go. Finally Meg came in and told Michael (in Mandarin Chinese) he just had to go a little bit and then we could leave and go back to the hotel - and he went!!! PRAISE GOD!! We were out of that crazy clinic as fast as we could get down 4 flights of stairs!! Oh, and we did not need to get a chest x-ray!! Apparently his PPD (skin test for TB) was considered "normal" which is sufficient for entrance into the US. We are cautiously grateful. We are all praying that this is correct and we won't have any issues in Guangzhou - please pray that all is well!!

After that ordeal, we went to a great restaurant around the corner from our hotel and ate like royalty!!! The food was great and Michael fed himself his entire meal! Up until this point I have been feeding him which is good for building attachment. I will continue to feed him, but it was encouraging to know that he CAN do it himself!! We then came back to the hotel and I tried to lay him down for a nap. This wasn't as easy. He was upset about something, and would not cooperate. Now, I do not like it when my kids have temper tantrums, but in this case I am okay. He has been so easy and complacent that I was beginning to worry a little. Every day more of his personality is coming out. We still don't know if he was in foster care or the orphanage, but I do feel that he will be okay. Once he is around his crazy sisters, he will have no choice but to fend for himself!!! He eventually fell asleep and slept for 3 hours!! I decided to let him sleep since his schedule has been so out of whack. Plus, he still has a cold and I figured that he could really use the rest. After nap, I gave him some leftovers from lunch and Meg brought me a ham and cheese sub from a French sub shop. It was really good!! Then we decided to take him to the pool. Meg wanted to swim some laps and so Michael and I hung out at one end of the pool. He looked pretty slick in his biker shorts suit and swim cap!! Me, not so much. He was scared at first, but then he just started laughing!! He cried when we got out of the pool. He seemed to really enjoy it, which is good since his sisters are fish. We made it up to the room to talk to Baba and the 3 sisters. Earlier in the day, Michael began to really look at the picture book we sent him with pictures of us. He even said "mama" and "baba" at the appropriate picture!! He has been carrying that book ever since!!! Today was a crazy day, but he is getting more and more comfortable with me. Oh, on another negative note...Facebook continues to be blocked and now I can't even get sound for CNN. I guess the uprising in the western part of the country is still causing some trouble. But it's killing me!! UGH!!!! Keep the comments coming - it really helps my sanity!!! You can also email me - I am craving more contact with the outside world!!!

He is officially ours!!

We met our group at 9 am and rode to the Civil Affairs office to complete the paperwork needed to make this adoption legitimate in the eyes of the Chinese govt. We did not need to wait long until it was our turn. As I was walking to our desk, I saw another family already working on paperwork, and I made a guess and I was right - it was Tammy and Tony! They are from Atlanta as well and Tammy and I have become friends via email and phone - we have never actually met in person!! I just thought that it was cool of God to let us meet - even though it was brief!! Everything went like clockwork. Michael was very well behaved and no problems came up. Apparently the officials were very confused as to why Steve had a visa to come to China and he didn't!! I wanted to scream!! Of course he wanted to come, but it is your dump quarantine scares that forced him to stay home with our girls!! Stupid!!! Well, with little fanfare the paperwork was finished and we were on our way back to the hotel. We ate lunch and Michael took a quick nap before we met our group again to go to the aquarium. It was quite nice - Michael especially liked the huge shark tank.

Michael was still quite complacent and quiet today. When we arrived back at our hotel though, he smiled and made some "happy noises" - like he was glad to be home! We went out to a great restaurant with Meg and a friend of hers - it was awesome!! I loved this green bean dish and eggplant dish the best. We had watermelon juice to drink - Michael loved it! We both also loved the duck rolls. At the restaurant, Michael started to come out of his shell a little more. As we were coming in from our cab in the pouring rain, he kept "saying" something. He was visibly upset and looking behind us, but I just assumed that he was fascinated by the rain. When we got to our table, he showed me his foot that was missing a shoe!! Meg went to look for it and it was outside in the street. He had been trying to tell me all along!! He was very happy when Meg brought it back to him. He really loves his shoes - I do too, once I took the squeakers out of them!! I think that I forgot to mention that all 3 kids arrived at our hotel with brand new clothes and shoes - they were all dressed sharply!! Anyway, he is doing well. Loves his bath and goes to sleep well - as long as he has his bottle, thus the bottle rot teeth!!! UGH!!! Still no trouble with walking or potty - no accidents at all - yea God!!!!

1st Day with Michael

Okay, so you have seen photos of our son, now I want to tell you about Sunday July 12th. I actually had been able to get a really good night sleep - since Meg had me walking all over Beijing (well, we did do the subway too). But I do think that all of that exercise (in the heat) helped me to sleep off some jet lag - I am actually doing well so far. Okay, so I woke up and had another amazing breakfast with Meg and then I went up to my room to freshen up and pray before I was suppose to meet my son in the hotel lobby at 10 am. I got my cameras and gifts for the orphanage director and some toys that I was hoping would win Michael over and left my room about 9:40 - thinking that would give me some time before Michael arrived to get settled. Well, I walk into the lobby and see the other 2 families talking to their children!! They had come early!!!! I ran over to Meg, handed her my camera and Flip video camera, and walked towards the director who was holding my son!! She tried to hand him to me, but he started crying and grabbing onto her. I told her to wait, ran and got out 2 Matchbox cars to show him. He loves cars, so he was immediately drawn to them. He left the director's arms and started playing with the cars. I took one and we started to play together a bit. He even made some cautious eye contact with me! After about 10 minutes, we all went to a conference room where we had to get some paperwork in order. Michael let me carry him!! He is such a little peanut! It is really hard to tell how different his size is from Danielle who is 3 months older. He is definitely skinnier, but he is a good height. So we go to the conference room and he sits quietly on my lap. After a while I got out some Goldfish crackers and gave him one at time, handing them to him from my eye level to his, making eye contact each time. He ate them all up. After our "business" was done, I took him up to my room and Meg ran to a restaurant and brought us some lunch. Boy, can he eat!! He loved everything that we offered him. I do have to give him one bite at a time, otherwise he will shove it all into his mouth - we will need to work on that. I tried to give him a nap, but after his bottle he shot back up and starting playing with his toys. I brought along a Thomas the Train rev-n-go set and he was absolutely amazed with it!! He couldn't get enough!! After his "nap time", we met the rest of the group and we went to a children's department store - it was absolutely insane!!! I was completely overstimulated, and so was Michael. I have seen that when things get overwhelming, he tends to shut down. So that is what he did while I had to find him a bathing suit - since I left it at home!! Well, I had the choice of biker shorts, swim trunks or speedos - I choose swim trunks. I also bought him a Winnie the Pooh DVD and children's music CD - all in Chinese. He loves the music, not too into the DVD which is just fine!! When we got back to our room, he started to come out of his shell a little more. We walked to get dinner and brought it back to the room, and then I decided to try giving him a bath. He didn't want to, but when I put some of his stacking cup toys into the water, he enjoyed playing in the tub. He did great!! After bath I brushed his teeth, gave him a bottle and lay down with him on the bed. He drank a little, and then wiggled around for a minute and fell fast asleep. He was asleep by 8:30 and woke up at 6:20 am. I was amazed!!

Now, as far as his health. He has a cold, so please pray that it goes away. He is able to walk, climb stairs, etc - there seems to be no trouble with his motor skills at all - PRAISE GOD!!! When I received him, he didn't have on diapers - or even underwear!! OOps!! The director told me that he should have on a diaper, especially at night. I have had him in pull-ups and they have been dry the entire time!!! Whenever he "indicates" the need, I put him on the potty and he goes!! He even had a dry diaper after sleeping all night!! Another answered prayer!! Now, he does have bad teeth. His top 3 or 4 teeth look like they may have bottle rot. I am guessing that he goes to bed with a bottle of milk stuck in his mouth. Luckily they are baby teeth and they will fall out - probably sooner than later. The other thing that came as a surprise is that it turns out he may not have been in foster care at all. All throughout his referral report it tells of a foster mother, but the director said that he had been in the orphanage the whole time. Meg pursued this, and the director finally admitted that she didn't know for sure and that she would double check. She made a few phone calls, but hasn't heard anything yet. She will let our guide know when she finds out. We are not refusing to adopt him since he was in the orphanage, it just was a little bit of a shock. All is well though. He is becoming less shell-shocked as time passes. He will be just fine. He is definitely more active when we are in our room instead of when we are with the rest of our group. Things are going so well - your prayers are definitely working!! I am so grateful for all of our prayer warriors - we couldn't be doing this without you!!! I will give more updates soon!!!

I FINALLY HAVE OUR SON !!!

I am not going to post a lot right now, but let me just say thank you for all of your prayers. Michael is in shock, but is doing REALLY well!! He is making eye contact with me which is great!! I even got my first smile out of him when I brought out his Thomas the Train set - he loves it!!! He is trying to make it work himself. After a big bottle of water, he even indicated that he had to go potty, so I put him on the toilet and he went! PRAISE GOD!! He is walking well and is absolutely beautiful!! I couldn't be more pleased with how well things are going. After doing some paperwork, we Skyped Daddy at 11:45 pm (ET) and they got to meet!! Michael was pretty quiet, but I know that Steve and his son are going to be great buddies!! GOD IS GOOD!! I will post more soon!!!

After a restless sleep, Michael's finding place!!

After a restless sleep, Meg and I enjoyed a fabulous breakfast buffet, switched my hotel room - to a king size room and then left to explore the city. Our first stop? Michael's finding place!! It was only a 15 minute cab ride. We found the gated neighborhood and then had to locate the actual building. It was only about 1-2 buildings from the entrance, and I was glad to find out that it was actually a health clinic!! His paperwork did not specify this fact! I was relieved that he was found here, it makes me feel like his birthparents wanted him to get proper care. We walked around the neighborhood. Meg said that it appeared to be a typical middle class neighorhood. She also said that it was likely that his birth parents didn't live there but maybe one or both of them worked there, and maybe still do (imagine having to pass every day the place where you left your child). Anyway, we walked around and were even able to see the police station where Michael was taken after he was found. He spent a couple of weeks in their custody before he was sent to the orphanage.

Next we decided that we needed some pampering. So we went to Starbucks and then Meg had a pedicure and I had a 45 minute back, neck and shoulder masssage. It was wonderful! I felt so relaxed after that. Well, at least until we went to Carrefour (a huge store, like Walmart). It was absolutely crazy!! NEVER go there on a Sat. afternoon!! We bought a few things including a stroller for Michael! Yikes!! We then dragged this big stroller box to the place that Meg has been staying with friends - the Finish Diplomatic Compound!! She sure has some interesting friends!! We got back to the hotel, checked out the pool, put the stroller together and then freshened up for dinner. We met Michael (our guide) and the 2 other families in my group that just arrived today and we went out for the infamous Peking Duck. It was delicious!!! The entire meal was absolutely yummy!! Now I am full and tired. I guess I just need to go to bed so that I will be well rested to meet my son in the morning!! All of us (the 3 families) are worried about our poor children - their little worlds are about to be rocked. The other 2 families are both adopting 7 year-olds (one boy and one girl). Please pray for all of their health and emotional well-being!! Next post - pictures of our son!!

See below for pictures...

Well, I MADE IT!!!

Well, I MADE IT!!! I cannot tell you how happy I am to be in China right now!! The pre-trip has been one of the most stressful things that I have gone through!! But, due to God's grace (and a few miracles that He allowed), I am in my son's city - BEIJING!! I left Atlanta on Thurs. 7/09 at 2:20 pm and flew to Tokyo. After a 2 hour layover, we left for Beijing and arrived here at about 10:20 pm (10:20 am ET). The trip over was very easy and safe. My wonderful husband worked some magic and I was able to fly business class all the way to China - praise God! It was great! I was able to stretch out and get some sleep - as well as watch a couple of movies. I am now in the Yuyang Hotel and it is very nice. I am in a room with 2 single beds since I thought that Meg might be staying with me, but that has changed. She has a place not far from here so she will stay there and come hang with me during the day. So after breakfast, I am going to see if I can switch to a room with a king size bed. Hopefully that won't be a problem - with Meg on my side, she will get it done!! When I arrived at my hotel, I hooked up my computer and was able to "see" my family via Skype. It was so good to see them, I miss them so much! I so wish that things had been different and that they were able to come, but now I just need to stay positive and get our son home!! I can't believe that in a little more than 24 hours he will be in my arms!! What a miracle - God is good!! Oh, so far I have avoided quarantine! I forgot to put my Tylenol in my carry-on (people have been taking it an hour before landing just to make sure they don't have an elevated temperature), but I passed the hazmat temperature scan drug-free!! Oh - there is a temperature scanner at the entrance to my hotel!! Let's just hope that after walking around Beijing in 100+ degree weather and then stepping into the hotel, that I don't register a fever! Talk about pressure!! Thank you for all of your prayers - I would appreciate if you would keep them up - they seem to be working!! Please pray specifically for my son's physical and emotional health - thank you and God bless!!

AMEN!!!

Prayers have been answered!! I am going to China as scheduled!!! Thank you to all of my prayer warriors!!! Next post will be from Beijing!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!

I NEED PRAYERS!!

Without going into specific details (mainly because I am just overwhelmed and numb at this point), there is a chance that I won't be able to leave on Thurs. I know that with God anything is possible, I am just praying that His will be done. Having said that, I would appreciate you all to pray for this MASSIVE mountain to be moved. In order for me to be able to keep my scheduled flight, a true miracle needs to happen - I have no doubt that God can do it, I just hope that He chooses to do this!

Leaving on Thursday!

I cannot believe it is finally time to meet our son!! I am leaving on Thursday and will be in Beijing on Friday night at 10:30 pm. I will have a day and a half to get settled and get prepared to meet Michael on Sunday the 12th at 2 pm (2 am ET)! More good news? I will be flying to Beijing in style - business class all the way!! Now, I wasn't able to get business class on the way home, but I will be so excited to get home I really won't care!! Plus, Michael will have a seat and he won't take up as much room as another adult. I am hoping that there will be less people in business class, and therefore, less of a chance of being exposed to swine flu! I have bought all of the supplements that my naturopath has recommended to boost my immunity and keep me H1N1 free - let's pray that it works!! I am looking forward to meeting Meg at the airport - she will be staying with me at a hotel for the first few days. After our official appointments are finished, I will then stay at Meg's apartment until I fly to Guangzhou on the 21st. I am still praying that everything will work out and I can arrive home on the 25th as scheduled!! I will be so ready to come home and unite my entire family together! Steve will be taking the girls to visit my parents while I am gone so tomorrow I will be packing all of our suitcases so that we can enjoy our last 2 days together - relatively stress free?! Please pray for safe travels (for all of us), Michael's physical and emotional health, no quarantine for me, and for Steve and the girls - thank you!!!!